Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pledged support to Pakistan, which has seen a series of deadly suicide bombings in recent months, in its efforts to fight terrorism, the Kremlin reported on Saturday.
A suicide attack in a volleyball field in the northwest of Pakistan on Friday killed at least 93 people watching a game. The country has witnessed a rise in bombings believed to be conducted by Islamists in response to military operations in their strongholds in the northwest.
Expressing his condolences in a telegram to President Asif Ali Zardari, Medevedev said: "I was shocked to learn about a new crime committed by extremists - a bloody terrorist act during a volleyball game in the town of Lakki Marwat."
Medvedev said he was positive Pakistan will continue its fight against terrorism and it "can rely on Russia's and the global community's support in this fight."
Friday's attack was condemned by Britain and the United States. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday that Washington will continue supporting the Pakistani people "in their efforts to chart their own future free from fear and intimidation".
The bomber detonated his car laden with explosives at a volleyball court as people gathered to watch two local sides face off. The attacker drove his car into the people and blew it up.
A car bomb in a crowded market in Peshawar, Pakistan's northwest, killed 125 people in October.
The Pakistani military has been holding massive operations in South Waziristan, Taliban's stronghold on the border with Afghanistan. The U.S. has also urged Pakistan to assault Al-Qaeda militants on its territory, who carry out attacks on U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
MOSCOW, January 2 (RIA Novosti)
